Knockouts from the past…
22 October 2019
Band: U2
Song: Desire – first No 1 UK hit for the Irish stars in October 1988
Album: Rattle And Hum – the band’s fourth No 1 album
in the UK, topping the British charts on 22 October 1988,
31 years ago today
Here we go…
U2: Facebook
You can stream their 1988 No 1 double album RATTLE AND HUM here…
Knockouts from the past…
19 October 2019
Band: Plastic Ono Band
Song: Cold Turkey
Released: 19 October 1969 in the US (50 years ago today) and 5 days later in the UK
Note 1: The song was written after Lennon and Ono experienced a cold turkey during
their brief heroin addictions. But personal assistant Fred Seaman, claimed that Lennon
told him that the song was actually about a severe case of food poisoning suffered by
John and Yoko after eating Christmas leftovers
Note 2: Legend goes that Lennon asked Paul McCartney to release the song as a single
by The Beatles when they were finishing recording ‘Abbey Road‘ but it was refused.
Note 3: The single’s cover art features Lennon‘s head with glasses on an X-ray image
Note 4: It was the second solo single by John Lennon (and his band). It peaked at
#30 in the US and at # 14 on the UK Singles Chart
PLASTIC ONO BAND: Biography
Knockouts from the past…
10 October 2019
Band: Oasis
Song: Cigarettes And Alcohol
B-sides: ‘I Am the Walrus’ (live) / ‘Listen Up‘ / ‘Fade Away’
Released: 10 October 1994 – 25 years ago today
Album: On their debut LP Definitely Maybe
Note 1: NME dubbed it back then – rightly so – as their T.Rex song
Note 2: It peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart (higher than their
‘Live Forever‘ anthem) and sold over more than 400.000 copies
OASIS: Facebook
OASIS: Facebook
Knockouts from the past…
8 October 2019
Band: Elastica
Who: London Britpop band led by Justine Frischmann (ex of Suede‘s
frontman Brett Anderson and Blur‘s mastermind Damon Albarn)
Song: ‘Connection‘ / B-side: ‘See That Animal’
Released: 10 October 1994 – 25 years ago
Album: Featured on their self-titled debut LP released a year later
Note 1: The intro synthesizer part (later repeated as a guitar figure)
was lifted from the guitar riff in British post punk band Wire‘s track
‘Three Girl Rhumba‘. A judgment resulted in an out-of-court settlement
Note 2: The single peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and
was pretty successful overseas where it reached #53 on the US Billboard
Hot 100, #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and #9 in Canada
Here’s the original recording…
And here their performance on American TV on the ‘David Letterman Show‘ (1995)
ELASTICA: Facebook
Knockouts from the past…
5 October 2019
45 years ago today, on 5 October 1974 Californian surf-pop legends THE BEACH BOYS hit the top spot of the US Albums Chart with their hits packed compilation album ‘Endless Summer‘. One of the standout highlights on the LP was definitely ‘SURFIN’ USA‘, released as a single 10 years before in 1964, 55 years ago. A song with lyrics by mastermind Brian Wilson set to the steamy music of ace hit ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ by rock hero Chuck Berry.
Here come the surfers…
And here’s the late great Chuck Berry‘s steamroller ‘Sweet Little Sixteen‘…
THE BEACH BOYS: Facebook
Knockouts from the past…
3 October 2019
Artist: M|A|R|R|S
Song: Pump Up The Volume
Who: M|A|R|R|S was a British recording act
formed by the groups A.R. Kane and Colourbox
Note 1: The song’s title was directly inspired by
a lyrical sample from ‘I Know You Got Soul‘ by
labelmates Eric B. & Rakim
Note 2: It was this project’s one and only recording.
It hit the top spot of the UK Singles Chart 32 years
ago today, on 2 October 1987
Pump/turn up the volume here…
Knockouts from the past…
2 October 2019
Band: The Kinks
Song: Stob Your Sobbing / B-side: ‘Beautiful Delilah’
Album: Self-Titled Debut LP
Note 1: Legend goes Ray Davies wrote the tune about
a crying girlfriend he broke up with
Note 2: In 1979 amidst the post punk explosion in the
UK Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders covered the song,
turning it into a successful catchy pop hit
Note 3: Ray Davies & Chrissie Hynde had a relationship
and a child after The Pretenders recorded The Kinks‘ song
Note 4 : The Kinks released the song as a single on
2 October 1964, 55 years ago, only in… South-Africa
Here’s The Kinks original…
.
And here comes The Pretenders cover…
The Pretenders single sleeve, 1979…
Knockouts from the past…
29 September 2019
Artist: Prince
Song: Let’s Go Crazy
B-side: ‘Take Me With U‘ in the UK and ‘Erotic City‘ in the US
Album: Purple Rain – his sixth album – released 24 June 1984
Note 1: The song is thought to be exhortation to follow Christian
ethics, with the “De-elevator” of the lyrics being a metaphor for the Devil
Note 2: The single hit the top spot of the US Singles Chart (his second
Number One in America) on 29 September 1984, 35 years ago today
Go crazy here…
PRINCE: Facebook – Website
Knockouts from the past…
23 September 2019
Artist: David Bowie
Song: Heroes / B-side: V-2 Schneider
Released: 23 September 1977, 42 years ago
Album: Heroes
Note 1 : Bowie wrote the song after seeing his producer/engineer
Tony Visconti and his girlfriend by the Berlin Wall. The song tells the
story of two lovers, one from East and one from West Berlin
Note 2 : It was co-written with Brian Eno and recorded in July
and August 1977 in the legendary Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin
Note 3: Despite the fact that it wasn’t a big hit (reached only #24
in the UK and didn’t chart in the USA) it became one of Bowie‘s most
famous and most covered songs. An epic diamond, a solid gold and
timeless achievement with the immortal line for all lovers, then and
now: “We can be heroes, just for one day…”
Here’s the masterstroke…
DAVID BOWIE: Website
Knockouts from the past…
14 September 2019
Artist: Eric Clapton
Song: I Shot The Sheriff
Album: 461 Ocean Boulevard – released 1 July 1974
Note: The song was written, by Bob Marley in 1973 for his Burnin’ album.
The late great reggae icon explained the song as follows : “I wanted to say
‘I shot the police’ but the government would have made a fuss so I said ‘I shot
the sheriff’ instead… but it’s the same idea: justice.“
Success: Clapton’s cover hit the top spot of the American charts
on 14 September 1974, 45 years ago today
Here’s the album version…
And here a full orchestrated 2015 live version…
ERIC CLAPTON: Facebook
